Kenyan national linked to Al-Qaeda arrested in Zambales

Cholo Abdi Abdullah, a Kenyan national and suspected member of the Al Qaeda terror group, poses for a mugshot after he was arrested in Zambales on Monday, July 1, 2019. Photo from CIDG

MANILA, Philippines — A Kenyan national who is allegedly a member of a terror group that pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda was arrested in his hotel room in Iba, Zambales, police said on Tuesday.

The Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said Cholo Abdi Abdullah, a suspected member of the Al Shabaab Group was arrested at around 3:30 p.m. Monday by virtue of a search warrant.

Abdullah was arrested by joint operatives of the CIDG, other PNP units and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

According to CIDG director Maj. Gen. Amador Corpus, the Al Shabaab Group has pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in 2012 and is currently operating in East Africa.

When arrested, Corpus said the suspect yielded a 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine, an improvised explosive device, a hand grenade, and other bomb making components.

Corpus said Abdullah was studying to be a pilot in an aviation academy in Pasay City and is conducting a research on aviation threats, aircraft hijacking, and falsifying travel documents.

He said the CIDG is still investigating whether the suspect’s enrollment in the school is connected to a possible terror attack.

According to Corpus, the operation against the suspect was hatched after police received intelligence information about him from their foreign counterparts.

“It was an urgent operation considering he was described by our foreign counterparts as very dangerous,” the police official said in a press briefing.

He said that so far, the police have not monitored any plans of the suspect to launch a terror attack in the country.

Abdullah is now detained by the CIDG and will be facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)